Outdoorsy Is Helping Customers Rethink The Way They Travel

This Patch article is sponsored by Outdoorsy.

Outdoorsy is the new face of outdoor travel. Commonly known as a peer-to-peer rental platform for recreational vehicles, the company helps owners rent out their Airstreams, camper vans and more-traditional RVs of all sizes to travelers who want to experience the outdoors. With over 40,000 recreational vehicles available to book on Outdoorsy.com, you’re bound to find one that suits your personal travel style.

Patch caught up with April Cumming, PR specialist at Outdoorsy.com, to learn more about the site that's inspiring adventurous vacations and allowing RV owners to turn their idle assets into a money-making opportunity.

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?

Cumming: Outdoorsy just celebrated its five-year anniversary. The company was founded in San Francisco, California, after our co-founders, Jennifer Young and Jeff Cavins, sold their homes and spent eight months traversing the West Coast in an Airstream. February 2020 will mark two years since they moved Outdoorsy’s headquarters to Austin, Texas — and we’re proud to call this vibrant, outdoors-loving city home.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?

Cumming: One of the simplest things that brought me joy growing up was reading travel magazines like National Geographic Traveler, Travel & Leisure and Budget Travel. I would go to the library once a month to read all of the latest issues without having to pay for a subscription. I loved the way words and pictures could transport you to another place and potentially inspire you to travel to that historic bookstore in Paris or tea shop in Morocco one day. To be able to say that I now correspond with the editors and writers who work for those aspirational publications is incredibly gratifying — and the fact that I get to call that correspondence "work" is a blessing. I could talk about travel all day and never tire of it, and that’s essentially what I get to do every day at Outdoorsy.

Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission to a stranger in five words, what would those
words be?

Cumming: Rethink the way you travel.

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you’ve faced in your job?

Cumming: Becoming fluent in all the fancy startup lingo — oh, and getting gift cards off the ground! I say the latter a bit jokingly, as I know there are bigger initiatives and rollouts planned that need to be prioritized at the moment. But one day, gift cards will exist, and I’ll be the first in line to buy them for my friends and family!

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Cumming: My team! I know that sounds cliche, but it’s true. I’m surrounded by incredibly supportive, smart and hilarious people — it’s honestly like having a second family. Each day, I learn something new from them, whether that’s how to accurately interpret bar charts in Tableau or how to coordinate a fun press trip for a reporter. Knowing that each day is going to be different keeps me motivated and on my toes.

Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?

Cumming: We truly believe that life’s best memories are made outdoors. There are a few differentiators that set us aside from the competition:

• You can customize your trip. Outdoorsy isn’t about the cookie-cutter RV lifestyle (although we’ll gladly take the cookie). Renters can find a vehicle that fits their personal style, personality and travel needs — anything from Sprinter vans with wood-paneled interiors and solar-paneled roofs, teardrop trailers that can be towed by a Prius, Instagrammable Airstreams and drivable Class B campers.
• You won’t break the bank. It’s quick math. Add together the price of flights, accommodations, transportation, eating out and activity entrance fees, and the cumulative tally of costs alone can make a massive dent in household finances. A common stigma first-time road trippers have is that potential RV rental options are expensive, cumbersome and restrictive. The reality, though, is that the cost savings of RV travel versus air travel ranges between 21 to 64 percent for a four-person travel party, while a two-person travel party saves anywhere from 8 to 53 percent, depending on factors such as the type of RV and type of vacation.
• You can see everything. The beauty of RV travel is that you’re not restricted by a glowing seatbelt sign in seat 24B. On the road, opportunity is at your fingertips, and you’re free to roam about the cabin. There’s plenty to discover on the road between Point A and Point B, and RV travel offers you the flexibility to change your plans, read that historical marker and check out that hot spring that lies three miles off the beaten path.

Patch: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to success?

Cumming: Inspirational quotes are my bread and butter. There used to be a publication called
National Geographic Adventure, and on every cover they would print “Dream it. Plan it. Do
it.” That’s been a favorite of mine for a while now. It’s easy to remember and repeat to
yourself when you need a dose of motivation.

Patch: Are there any new projects or endeavors you’re working on that you’re extra excited
about?

Cumming: We’re pretty good at keeping secrets, but I can say we have a plethora of new product features and partnerships in the works for 2020 that will ultimately optimize Outdoorsy as a brand and service to our renters and owners. I’m currently trying to wrap my head around all the new directions we’ll be headed — and announcements we’ll be making — in the year ahead. It makes me incredibly excited from a PR perspective. I can’t wait to share all the news!

Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community?

Cumming: We’re moving into a new awesome office on the east side of Austin in early 2020, and we’ll have lots of fun events on the books once that happens! Stay tuned to Outdoorsy’s social channels for fun event announcements coming in 2020. (We like to be the cool kid at the party and have a tendency to give away road trip discounts as party favors).

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and business?

Cumming: Check out our website or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. For any media-related inquiries or questions, feel free to email us.